DOHA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- China striker Zhang Yuning said here on Monday that the national football team would do their best to grab three points in the second group match against Lebanon at the AFC Asian Cup.
The Chinese team continued training in Qatar University on Monday. At 10 a.m. local time in Doha, the temperature was around 25 degrees Celsius in the training ground. As the national team and reporters were exposed to the sun, the temperature felt even hotter.
China was held to a goalless draw against debutant Tajikistan in Group A of the continental tournament on Saturday night.
With one point now, China will face Lebanon on Wednesday, while Tajikistan is set to play against host Qatar, who led the group with three points after a 3-0 win over Lebanon.
"The next is the most crucial game for us as it could decide who will qualify for the knock-out stage. We're going to give it all our efforts," said Zhang. "Hopefully we can bring back a victory."
Song Kai, president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), watched the training session on Monday.
Wu Xi, the holding midfielder who missed the opening game against Tajikistan due to injury, joined teammates in training, while another injured player Wei Shihao, the leading winger for the national team, trained separately.
A total of 24 teams have been divided into six groups at the Asian Cup, which is held from January 12 to February 10.
China, two-time runner-up, reached the quarterfinals in the past two editions. ■